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The Essence of Reiki

Image credit: Golden Reiki Healing

The essence of Reiki is love, the energy that comes from pure love, from a Divine Source. Rei means ‘spiritual’ and ki means ‘energy’, Spiritual Energy. Some call it universal energy or life force energy. I call life force energy LOVE, energy that moves around and through everything including our bodies.

Life force energy (LFE) has been around since the beginning of time. Ancient texts, civilizations and cultures tell us that. Mikao Usui did not discover LFE in the 1920’s, he rediscovered it and gave it a Japanese name, Reiki (ray-kee). Usui was searching for enlightenment, “What is the true purpose of life?”, not to be a healer.

Usui studied history, medicine, Buddhism, and Christianity, and more. He was led to Zen Buddhism, for three years he could not achieve enlightenment. He asked his Zen Master for advice and his master replied, “Well, maybe you should experience death.”

Mikao Usui (1865–1926)

Usui went to a retreat on Mt. Kurama, a sacred mountain in Kyoto, Japan. He was fasting and during his third week, he felt a powerful shock in the center of his brain, like he had been struck by lightening. He lost consciousness and several hours later he woke to dawn breaking. He felt refreshed in a way he never felt before. Divine Reiki energy penetrated his his body and soul. He came to realize, “The Universe is me…I am the Universe.” He finally achieved the enlightenment he had been searching for.

He ran joyfully down the mountain at his new discovery and tripped over a rock, which ripped off his toenail. He laid his hand on his toe and to his surprise the pain disappeared, the bleeding stopped and his toe healed. He told his Zen master and he confirmed that Usui had achieved enlightenment and he also guided him to use his ability to heal people and lead them to enlightenment through the healing. This method is known as Shin-Shin Kai-Zen Usui Reiki Ryo-Ho which translates to “The Usui Reiki Treatment Method for Improvement of Body and Mind.”

The essence of Reiki is listening to Spirit..your higher self, and live by the Reiki Precepts to be a channel for Reiki. There are many paths to the same goal, enlightenment. It doesn’t matter which path you take. Just ask for Guidance and it will be given to you, through other people, books, TV, radio, computer, recurring thought, any number of ways. I was guided to my Reiki Master Teacher after asking for guidance to find a Reiki teacher. It worked very well! Over three years later, still practicing with her. 🙂

One of the Five Reiki Precepts is ‘Be Kind’, be kind to yourself, as well as others!